New spin on transistors

A new “spintronic” atom-based transistor uses a new principle for controlling and switching electrical current based on electron spin.Developed at the Institute for Microstructural Science in Ottawa, the device uses a magnetic field to tune a quantum dot so that the spins of electrons hopping onto or off it must be aligned up or down. This means information can be stored, read out and erased by manipulating the spins of the electrons in the well.